Steam-engine valve.



STATES PATENT OFFICE,

Y :i 'FRANCIS M. RUILEDGE;V OF NORTONVILLE, KAXSA.

STEAM-ENGINE VALVE:

l Nn. :396,s43.

T o 131 trimm it may con-cern: Be it ,knowir that '1, FRANCIS M. RUT-Limon,V a citizen of the. United States, resid- .ing at Xortonville, inthe county of Jeli'erson and State of Kansas, have inventer. certain-new and useful Improvements in Steam-Engine. Valves, of which thefollowing is a speciii'caiion. Y -This invention relates to new anduseful improvements in valves'for steam elgines and has particularreference to an improvement in rotary valves for controlling steamsupply and exhaust irom'the engine cylinder with relation to the'steamchest.. The invention has for its object. to provi le steam valves of.the rotary type which can be operated through suitable gearing with va.minimum degree of friction and expenditure of power.

The detailed constructionwillappear in the course of the followingdescription in vwhich reference is hadto the accompanying drawingsforming a part of this specification,

like numerals dcsignatinr like parts throughout the several views, wieren,

Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section of.

a steam chest and cut otvalves therein constructed in accordance with'my invention. lf ig. is a central transverse section on line v3.0 2-2of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. -3 is a detailedsection of parts in elevation, showing the valves and their associatedpart-s, and Figs. 4 and 5 are d'etailcd perspective views of elements tobe hereinafter specifically referred to.

Referring specifically to the accompanying drawings, thevletter Adesignates the engine cylinder, B the piston movable therein, b thepiston rod, C the stalling box therefor, and l) 4f) the steam chestwhich is prefcrablv cast integral with the engine cylinder. The steamchest D embodies the valve chamber I which communicates with the ends ofthe engine.

cylinder A by inclined passages 1 and 2 and with the exhaust chamber 3by inclined passages l and 5. To the ends of the cvlinder A. are boltedthe cylinder heads a of conventional form. T-heivalve chamber d isclosed by a cap plate 6 having depending end tlanges 7 through whichpass fastening bolt-s s to secpre the plate 6 to the ends of the valvechamber d andhaving'horizontal side tianges Q'through which pass bols orother fastening means 10 to secure the plate. 6 to 35 the .side portionsof the chamber t 'The respective. series of passages 1 and -1 PatentedAug. 25,l 190s.

and '2 and 5 are cmitrolled by rotarv cylindrical valves l! and 12.These valves are counter arts in construction and a description of t. ievalve l1 will likewise apply to the valve 12. T he t.. r of the valvecnainbe'r d is formed with transverse concave depresare seated forrotatory movement. vIt is pre.- ferred to reduce the friction of suchmove ment to minimum degree by providing transverse friction rollers 14which may be packed if so desired. The valves 11 and 1 2- are removable;'or the purpose of repairs, regrinding or renewai, but are held fromany play by therebetv en and held to the tloor of the 'steam chest. l)by bolts l5. The plates 1 have their outer edges curved to conform tothe curvature of the valves l' and l'l and serve as sto is to preventtheir accidental displacement irnn their sides and likewise t0 throughthe respective ports 4 and 5 and into the exhaust chamber 3, whence theegress of the steam is pe'mitted b v way of hc exhaust port, 1S whichhas connection willi the discharge pi e.

The va ves 11 and 1'. are dcsigncd'tt be moved in unison and to this endairecach provided with outwardly extendingl arms I9 which are pivotallyconnected 'as aftltt to the -adjacent ends pi pivotally operating bars'l and '21, said operating bars overlapping.one another at thezr innercit-'ds and being movabl)- secured centrally of thc ohtcr ends thereofby means of a. pivotcd clip 2'. whicl. is a'djustably connected by meansot' set. screws '23 with a valve rodfll projected lonworliing instulliu'.' boxes 25. The rod 24 is reciprocatcd by means of any aiproved valve gearing which ma) be emp ovcd. Rearwardly of tie valves lland l. there are disposed the elements shown in Fig. 4, comprismg endbearing plates ti which rest upon the iloor of the chamber 1 1 and havetheir exposed faces curved as at .27 to conform to tlm web sions 13within which the valves 11' and 12,

formed with an opening 16 extending trans-i' steam from either ofA thepassages l and 2' gitudinally through the valve c tambor d andv meansAof"trxinrvcisc plates 15 interposed' prevent any plajv Vsuch as wouldcause the are designated by the numeral 2Q and are disi the registeringopenings 32 andSl. In the po- Y right the valve. gearing will act toreciprocate ture of the valves. The upper portions of1 the plates '26are providedn'it-h vert-ical recesses 2S which provide for theoscillating movement of the arms 19 adjacent thereto. A It is preferredto provide at the ends of the l valves 11 and 12 bearing plates such asare illustrated in detail in Fig. These. plates posed in juxtaposedrelation to the side walls of the chamber Il. The plates 1".) are formedin their lower edges with concave recesses 30 which snugly surround the.curved sur i faces of the valve and ail'ord a. journal therefor. One ofthe. plates 20, as is shown in Figs. 2 and 5, is formed with a. centralopening 31 which registers wit-h the steam inletopening 32 provided inthe side of the ehamber J.

In operation steam is admitted into the chamber d from a source. ofsupply through sition of the valve shovvnin Fig. 1 the steam which isadmitted will pass through the opening 1 of the valve 1,1 and throughthe passage 1 and to the end of the cylinder A toreing the piston Il tothe right. In such movement the piston B discharges the prior charge ofsteam through the passage 2, the recess 17 of the valve 12 and thepassage 14 into the exhaust chamber 3 whence it passes through theopening 1S and is disposed of by' any suitable exhaust mechanism. Whenthe piston B reaches the limit of its travel to the the rod 24 to theright. In this movement the rod Z4 through the connections describedtvill simultaneously rotate the valves 11 and 12 and will cause thesteam in the chamber d to passthrough the opening 16 el' the valve 1i.the passage 2 and into the end of the eylr inde1A ,ioreiiig the piston Btt; the left. At l the same time the piston B zvill discharge 2 theprior charge of steam in the lei'tend ol' l the cylinder through thepassage l, the recess l 1T of the valve 11 and the passage 4 into theexhzmst chamber 3, whence it. passes through the port lo'. When thepiston B reacties the l limit of its travel to the le t, the valve gearing will reciprocate the rod 24 to the left and will throw the valvesback to the position'in Fig. 1. The operations above described arerepeated in successive order during the opera.' tion of the engine, aswill be readily understood.

`While the elements herein shown and described are ivell adapted toserve the fune-- tions set forth, it is obvious that various minorchanges may be made in the proportions, shape and arrangement of theseveral parts without departing from the, spirit and scope -of myinvention as defined in the appended claim.

The combination with a steam engine cylinder anda steam chest imposedthereon and having passages coninnuiicating thercbetween at both endsthereof, of an exhaust chamber located between said steam chest; andsaid cylinder and having openings through the walls thereof,communicating with said passages, cylindrical valves rotatablyassociated within said passages having slotted openings adapted toalternately register said passages with said steam chest and saidexhaust chamber openings, connecting arms extending upwardly from saidvalves, anti-fricion rollers mounted to bear against the peripheralsurface of said valves, operat ing bars pivotally connected at theirouter ends to the ends of said valve arms, a clip member pivotallyconnecting the inner ends of said operating bars. a valve rod arrangedthrough said steam chest said clip member having a tubular portionslidably mounted on said valve rod. and set screvvs arranged throughsaid tubular portion and engaging said valve rod to normally hold saidclip member stationary with relation thereto, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof l-atiix my signature in presence oit\vo"\vitnesses.

FRIIS XI. HI'TLEDGI". 'itnessest.. f;--.

Grao. F. laviiou'n,

J. 1 1. WlGELsvvon'rn.

